Stamford's 'fish church' to sell off land

Cost of upkeep pushes iconic Stamford church to sell off land

Rob Varnon

Published 9:24 pm, Saturday, May 3, 2014

The Rev. David Van Dyke points out areas of First Presbyterian Church in Stamford, Conn., which are in need of repair on Wednesday, April 23, 2014. The church plans to sell approximately three acres of property, currently a parking lot, to pay for the repairs, fund an endowment, and pay for new missions.
Photo: Lindsay Perry

The Rev. David Van Dyke stands near a large crack in the floor of the Fellowship Hall at First Presbyterian Church in Stamford, Conn., on Wednesday, April 23, 2014. The church plans to sell approximately three acres of property, currently a parking lot, to pay for repairs, fund an endowment, and pay for new missions.
Photo: Lindsay Perry

Water damage is visible at First Presbyterian Church in Stamford, Conn., on Wednesday, April 23, 2014. The church plans to sell approximately three acres of property, currently a parking lot, to pay for the repairs, fund an endowment, and pay for new missions.
Photo: Lindsay Perry

The current parking lot at First Presbyterian Church in Stamford, Conn., on Wednesday, April 23, 2014, which is part of approximately three acres of land the curch plans to sell to pay for repairs, fund an endowment, and pay for new missions.
Photo: Lindsay Perry

The Rev. David Van Dyke points out areas of First Presbyterian Church in Stamford, Conn., which are in need of repair on Wednesday, April 23, 2014. The church plans to sell approximately three acres of property, currently a parking lot, to pay for the repairs, fund an endowment, and pay for new missions.
Photo: Lindsay Perry

The Rev. David Van Dyke points out areas of First Presbyterian Church in Stamford, Conn., which are in need of repair on Wednesday, April 23, 2014. The church plans to sell approximately three acres of property, currently a parking lot, to pay for the repairs, fund an endowment, and pay for new missions.
Photo: Lindsay Perry

Water damage is visible at First Presbyterian Church in Stamford, Conn., on Wednesday, April 23, 2014. The church plans to sell approximately three acres of property, currently a parking lot, to pay for the repairs, fund an endowment, and pay for new missions.
Photo: Lindsay Perry

Water damage is visible at First Presbyterian Church in Stamford, Conn., on Wednesday, April 23, 2014. The church plans to sell approximately three acres of property, currently a parking lot, to pay for the repairs, fund an endowment, and pay for new missions.
Photo: Lindsay Perry

The outdated oil-fired boiler at First Presbyterian Church in Stamford, Conn., on Wednesday, April 23, 2014. The church plans to sell approximately three acres of property, currently a parking lot, to pay for repairs, fund an endowment, and pay for new missions.
Photo: Lindsay Perry

The Rev. David Van Dyke points out areas of First Presbyterian Church in Stamford, Conn., which are in need of repair on Wednesday, April 23, 2014. The church plans to sell approximately three acres of property, currently a parking lot, to pay for the repairs, fund an endowment, and pay for new missions.
Photo: Lindsay Perry

Postcard image of the First Presbyterian Church Tower (Fish Church) in Stamford.
Photo: Contributed, Amy Mortensen

Postcard image of the First Presbyterian Church Tower (Fish Church)...

Postcard image of the First Presbyterian Church Sanctuary (Fish Church) in Stamford.
Photo: Contributed, Amy Mortensen

Postcard image of the First Presbyterian Church Sanctuary (Fish...

Vintage photograph: Steel reinforcing members are carefully positioned during construction of the First Presbyterian Church Sanctuary (Fish Church) in Stamford.
Photo: Contributed, Amy Mortensen

Vintage photograph: Steel reinforcing members are carefully...

Vintage photograph: Forms are carefully stripped from the finished units during construction of the First Presbyterian Church Sanctuary (Fish Church) in Stamford.
Photo: Contributed, Amy Mortensen

Vintage photograph: Forms are carefully stripped from the finished...

A crane raises the precast concrete panels in place in this 1956-1957 photo of the First Presbyterian Church Sanctuary (Fish Church) in Stamford.
Photo: Contributed, Amy Mortensen

A crane raises the precast concrete panels in place in this...

View from the 56-bell Carillon Tower of the First Presbyterian Church Sanctuary (Fish Church) in Stamford during the Docomomo, a group committed to preserving and promoting modernist movement buildings, tour day on Saturday, Oct. 6, 2012.
Photo: Amy Mortensen

View from the 56-bell Carillon Tower of the First Presbyterian...

John Bittner, tour guide and church member, stands in the 56-bell Carillon Tower of the First Presbyterian Church Sanctuary (Fish Church) in Stamford during the Docomomo, a group committed to preserving and promoting modernist movement buildings, tour day on Saturday, Oct. 6, 2012.
Photo: Amy Mortensen

John Bittner, tour guide and church member, stands in the 56-bell...

The 56-bell Carillon Tower of the First Presbyterian Church Sanctuary (Fish Church) in Stamford during the Docomomo, a group committed to preserving and promoting modernist movement buildings, tour day on Saturday, Oct. 6, 2012.
Photo: Amy Mortensen

The 56-bell Carillon Tower of the First Presbyterian Church...

The 56-bell Carillon Tower of the First Presbyterian Church Sanctuary (Fish Church) in Stamford during the Docomomo, a group committed to preserving and promoting modernist movement buildings, tour day on Saturday, Oct. 6, 2012.
Photo: Amy Mortensen

The 56-bell Carillon Tower of the First Presbyterian Church...

The 56-bell Carillon Tower of the First Presbyterian Church Sanctuary (Fish Church) in Stamford during the Docomomo, a group committed to preserving and promoting modernist movement buildings, tour day on Saturday, Oct. 6, 2012.
Photo: Amy Mortensen

The 56-bell Carillon Tower of the First Presbyterian Church...

The 56-bell Carillon Tower of the First Presbyterian Church Sanctuary (Fish Church) in Stamford during the Docomomo, a group committed to preserving and promoting modernist movement buildings, tour day on Saturday, Oct. 6, 2012.
Photo: Amy Mortensen

The 56-bell Carillon Tower of the First Presbyterian Church...

A stone in the Memorial Walk representing Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. leads to the main entrance to the First Presbyterian Church Sanctuary (Fish Church) in Stamford during the Docomomo, a group committed to preserving and promoting modernist movement buildings, tour day on Saturday, Oct. 6, 2012. The Memorial Walk has more than 100 stones, each representing one of the spiritual giants of the Judeo/Christian tradition.
Photo: Amy Mortensen

A stone in the Memorial Walk representing Dr. Martin Luther King,...

The First Presbyterian Church Sanctuary (Fish Church) in Stamford during the Docomomo, a group committed to preserving and promoting modernist movement buildings, tour day on Saturday, Oct. 6, 2012.
Photo: Amy Mortensen

The First Presbyterian Church Sanctuary (Fish Church) in Stamford...

The north side of the nave depicts scenes from the crucifixion such as the golden roof tops of the city of Jerusalem. Light illuminates the stained glass of the First Presbyterian Church Sanctuary (Fish Church) in Stamford during the Docomomo, a group committed to preserving and promoting modernist movement buildings, tour day on Saturday, Oct. 6, 2012.
Photo: Amy Mortensen

The north side of the nave depicts scenes from the crucifixion such...

The south side of the nave depicts scenes from the resurrection such as lightning which stabs the sky in three directions. Light illuminates the stained glass of the First Presbyterian Church Sanctuary (Fish Church) in Stamford during the Docomomo, a group committed to preserving and promoting modernist movement buildings, tour day on Saturday, Oct. 6, 2012.
Photo: Amy Mortensen

The south side of the nave depicts scenes from the resurrection...

Artist's rendering of a proposed 175-unit apartment building to be built on an existing parking lot on Morgan Street at First Presbyterian Church.
Photo: Contributed Photo

Artist's rendering of a proposed 175-unit apartment building to be...

The Rev. David Van Dyke points out areas of First Presbyterian Church in Stamford, Conn., which are in need of repair on Wednesday, April 23, 2014. The church plans to sell approximately three acres of property, currently a parking lot, to pay for the repairs, fund an endowment, and pay for new missions.
Photo: Lindsay Perry

The Rev. David Van Dyke stands near a large crack in the floor of the Fellowship Hall at First Presbyterian Church in Stamford, Conn., on Wednesday, April 23, 2014. The church plans to sell approximately three acres of property, currently a parking lot, to pay for repairs, fund an endowment, and pay for new missions.
Photo: Lindsay Perry

Water damage is visible at First Presbyterian Church in Stamford, Conn., on Wednesday, April 23, 2014. The church plans to sell approximately three acres of property, currently a parking lot, to pay for the repairs, fund an endowment, and pay for new missions.
Photo: Lindsay Perry

The current parking lot at First Presbyterian Church in Stamford, Conn., on Wednesday, April 23, 2014, which is part of approximately three acres of land the curch plans to sell to pay for repairs, fund an endowment, and pay for new missions.
Photo: Lindsay Perry

The Rev. David Van Dyke points out areas of First Presbyterian Church in Stamford, Conn., which are in need of repair on Wednesday, April 23, 2014. The church plans to sell approximately three acres of property, currently a parking lot, to pay for the repairs, fund an endowment, and pay for new missions.
Photo: Lindsay Perry

The Rev. David Van Dyke points out areas of First Presbyterian Church in Stamford, Conn., which are in need of repair on Wednesday, April 23, 2014. The church plans to sell approximately three acres of property, currently a parking lot, to pay for the repairs, fund an endowment, and pay for new missions.
Photo: Lindsay Perry

Water damage is visible at First Presbyterian Church in Stamford, Conn., on Wednesday, April 23, 2014. The church plans to sell approximately three acres of property, currently a parking lot, to pay for the repairs, fund an endowment, and pay for new missions.
Photo: Lindsay Perry

Water damage is visible at First Presbyterian Church in Stamford, Conn., on Wednesday, April 23, 2014. The church plans to sell approximately three acres of property, currently a parking lot, to pay for the repairs, fund an endowment, and pay for new missions.
Photo: Lindsay Perry

The outdated oil-fired boiler at First Presbyterian Church in Stamford, Conn., on Wednesday, April 23, 2014. The church plans to sell approximately three acres of property, currently a parking lot, to pay for repairs, fund an endowment, and pay for new missions.
Photo: Lindsay Perry

Water damage is visible at First Presbyterian Church in Stamford, Conn., on Wednesday, April 23, 2014. The church plans to sell approximately three acres of property, currently a parking lot, to pay for the repairs, fund an endowment, and pay for new missions.
Photo: Lindsay Perry

The Rev. David Van Dyke points out areas of First Presbyterian Church in Stamford, Conn., which are in need of repair on Wednesday, April 23, 2014. The church plans to sell approximately three acres of property, currently a parking lot, to pay for the repairs, fund an endowment, and pay for new missions.
Photo: Lindsay Perry

More Information

Go online to see a slideshow of the fish church through the years: stamfordadvocate.com

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STAMFORD -- Rev. David Van Dyke glanced across the grassy courtyard at fresh plywood that had been installed in place of one of the floor-to-ceiling windows serving as outer walls for First Presbyterian's office complex.

"A turkey, wild turkey, flew into the window this morning," he said, before stating in a firm but gentle way, "The bird did not make it."

It was an unfortunate accident, really -- the bird, the window and the timing. The poor thing flew right through the window as parents were dropping off their children for the church's nursery school; Van Dyke posited the possibility that some kids might need counseling.

It was an odd sort of accident at an odd moment for the church, where Van Dyke has presided for 35 years.

First Presbyterian is blessed with a beautiful iconic church, known as the "fish church" because of its shape. It sits on 10 acres of prime property in a Connecticut city that's defied the economic malaise which has gripped most of the rest of the state. It was built by a congregation of more than 1,800 members in 1957, raising the money to buy 10 acres, hire a modernist architect to create a unique and modern church for the 20th century. Today, the congregation is more like 450 and looking for a way to be relevant in the 21st century.

To do this, the church is selling off 3 acres to a developer who will put up a 175-unit apartment building, pending city board approvals. It's what happens when a church is land rich, but cash poor. The application is before the Zoning Board; some neighbors have already objected to the plan, citing concerns about traffic and parking on Morgan Street. A public hearing on the matter Monday was continued to May 12.

It's not a foregone conclusion that the apartments will go up. There are concerns in the community.

Jim Mazzeo, a long-time resident of the Strawberry Patch development up the block told the Zoning Board his concerns.

"I can tell you one overriding concern is traffic. Morgan Street is a difficult street," he said. "The density of this project, raises concern. Not that we're against the project..."

He wants the city to look at the way traffic flows in and out of the area. Morgan Street is used as a cut-through between Hoyt and Third Street/Strawberry Hill Court, and its proximity to the court house makes it a common parking spot.

Traffic worries

City Rep. Cynthia Reeder, D-11, said she was supportive of the church's efforts, but is concerned about parking. And an attorney for a neighboring apartment building wants the project scaled down.

The property has not been sold to the developer. The deal is only good if the plan gets through zoning; the church would then be left with only enough land for its buildings and parking.

Van Dyke said when the church bought the property in the 1950s, people questioned whether anyone would go that far out of downtown for church. The old church was on Broad Street. Traffic and parking problems would have been laughable at the time. Now First Presbyterian is, if not downtown, on the edge of it and nestled among a host of apartment buildings and businesses.

Other things have also changed for the church over the years.

"Like many mainline denominations in the Northeast, we have struggled with declining numbers," Van Dyke said. "We have a congregation about a quarter of the size of the one that built this place."

The decline didn't happen all at once, but gradually, through the decades since the congregation built the church. For the last 20 years, money has been an issue, Van Dyke said, noting they've struggled with deficits and have debated the idea of selling some land.

Finally, the church elders agreed to do it and found a developer, Fuller Development, which plans to build the apartment building on a little more than 3 acres fronting Morgan Street. The church would give up its parking lot and create a new one on its smaller parcel, just down a hill from the community garden on the property. To do it, the church will need a special zoning exception and amend the requirement for front yard space.

It's a blessing to have the land and be able to sell it, Van Dyke said, though he admitted no one likes to sell land.

Mounting repair needs

Van Dyke walked through the church describing the building's physical needs. He flipped on the light of the sanctuary, which is in the tail section of the church, to reveal where water has seeped through the concrete, peeling away paint.

There is no structural steel in the building, he explained. A reinforced concrete frame supports the building. In an often wet or humid climate, that's proven to be a problem. Walking through the church and into the fish's body, he points to the beautiful walls of stained glass, set in concrete on the north side. All that has to be replaced. Standing up close to the glass, the multi-colored light splashing his face, he points to where some of the pieces have cracked due to concrete expansion and contraction over the years. That's allowed water and dirt to get into some of the glass; fractures can be seen.

The church will have to replace all the concrete surrounding the glass with a composite material. Besides that, it needs to coat the other concrete support with a water barrier.

Sometimes when it rains, water comes into the church and gets on the pews. A few are stained. The heating system also has to be tackled. The church still has the original oil-fired boiler installed in the basement, affectionately called "the beast."

It's a huge contraption that looks like it could be part of a diesel locomotive. It's costly, but it works. The church's kitchen needs to be renovated and brought up to code, though Van Dyke said the once popular church dinners aren't held as often as they once were and don't attract the crowd they once did.

The plan is to take the money from the sale of the property and divide it among three uses, he said. The first would be to restore the church.

That's an obligation this generation owes to the next, he said -- to hand over a church in good condition.

"I'm near retirement," Van Dyke said, explaining that he wants a new leader to be thinking about the higher mission of the church instead of being preoccupied with the building's needs.

Keeper of history

The church itself is a historic structure. Designed by Wallace K. Harrison, who also designed the United Nation's building, it is shaped like a fish, reminiscent of the old Christian symbol. The 20,000 pieces of glass in the structure glow brilliantly in the sun bathing the interior in an extraordinary light.

It's difficult to say how much that will cost, but the reverend believes it could be about $2.5 million to $3 million. The second use of proceeds from the sale will be to create a church endowment that can generate funds. And finally, another portion will be used to fund new ministries.

It's part of the larger mission of the church, to do good in the community, but it's a difficult thing to carry out in this era for the Protestant faiths.

After concluded a tour of the facilities, Van Dyke is sitting in his office. A big room with large windows that open up onto a line of old and large trees. Inside, his office is packed with years of service. Shelves are filled with books and his guitars are close at hand.

The Presbyterian Church was borne out of the Protestant Reformation as church leaders began to question the direction and the structure of religion in Europe. Those debates and increasing education served as sparks for the Enlightenment, a revolutionary period in ideas, science and the purpose behind humanity. That free thinking has been a hallmark of many of the protestant faiths, but today's climate is different for church's as they face two very distinct movements in American and global spiritual communities.

"We are living in an age where fundamentality is strong across all religions," Van Dyke said. "Everyone is saying there is a truth with a capital `T.' `We got it and you've got to have it.' "

That creates difficulties for many churches, which hope to be inclusive and welcoming to all.

It's not just fundamentalism that's created strain for churches.

Ministers of faith are also facing an age denoted by a lack of affiliation, he said. A huge portion of the population are counted among the "Nones," people without religion.

Dwindling numbers

Pew Research recently found that the vast majority of the Nones identify themselves as spiritual, but not religious, with many reporting a disenchantment with organized religion due to perceptions that the institutions concentrate too much on raising money and holding power.

While the Presbyterian Church has core Christian values and beliefs, Van Dyke said, his church is an open and inclusive congregation. Gays and lesbians can be ordained, he noted. And his own flock is diverse and representative of the population of Stamford.

"We look like the city," he said noting the ethnic diversity of the group.

Van Dyke has no illusions that people will come back to the church, but there's no reason the church can't go out to him. Ideally, he'd like to bring in a young pastor, fresh from seminary to start a mission in the city and hopes to issue a request for proposal that would fund such an endeavor for three years. But that's in the future, if the sale happens and the congregation wants to do it.

The congregation and the mission, in the end are everything, and Van Dyke said he keeps that in mind when he looks at the needs of the physical structures on the property. It's why he doesn't get despondent about the condition of the building.

And who knows, maybe Van Dyke was originally called to this church 35 years ago to be here for just this moment.

The pastor couldn't remember what his first sermon was at the church Wednesday. So he pulled out a book where he records baptisms funerals, weddings and the titles of sermons. He found the pages from the 1970s, remarking they made him wait a long time before allowing him to preach.

He smiled when he found the entry of his first sermon and read aloud the title, "People of Paradox."